Purity
by the amber dragonfly
Summary: A short story about the purity of many things: blood, family, pain, hate, love, and even death. Zutara, Tokka, mention of Ty LeeAang. Character death, language, angst, drama. No flames about the pairings, plz
1. Part I Purity of Blood

**Part I- Purity of Blood**

Pain. Searing, hot agony clenched at her entire body, nearly forcing her to curl into a ball. The torment slowly subsided and she relaxed as much as she could, yet her mind knew more were coming. Sure enough, mere seconds later it built again, tightening so hard she was certain she'd break.

Oh, spirits, she had never felt such pain.

A woman in red dabbed a cool cloth on her forehead and she managed a weak smile in thanks. It was the worst possible time for this to be happening: it was the middle of summer for one, and the sun had just risen. And it certainly didn't help that that very evening would be the night of the New Moon- everything was conspiring against her.

She was in trouble, that she knew. She recognized the looks on the women's faces and they weren't good. If only she'd managed to summon one of her friends in time… It had been so long since she'd talked to any of them, even her brother. Where was he, even now?

Biting back a rather heated oath, she winced as her body constricted again. Would it never end?

"It's time, my Lady," one of the women murmured, helping her to sit up. She opened her eyes wearily and gasped. The foot of her special bed was completely covered in blood. Lifting her eyes to the woman beside her, she saw the worry and concern therein. They both knew so much blood was not normal- or safe.

"Remember to breathe, my Lady," the woman- Hana was her name- said as she gently rubbed her back.

She knew the routine. She had assisted dozens of women back home, and even more since coming to live here. Focusing her breaths, much like her husband did when he was meditating, she followed Hana's instructions, determined to end her torment.

Hours she labored, fighting with her determination and stubbornness to be relieved of her burden. So focused she was on her task she missed the frightened looks of her maids.

It seemed like days to the rapidly weakening woman, but finally, _finally_ her long months of waiting and hoping were over. With a final loud groan, partially from frustration and partially from the mind-numbing pain, her miracle was born, sliding easily into the midwife's arms, bloody and red-faced, but whole.

The shivering thing was wrapped in a clean towel, the maids scurrying to and fro to take care of the new arrival. It was placed in a basin of warmed water for bathing- and let out a howl of indignation.

The women all smiled at each other. The child obviously had a healthy pair of lungs. Much like both its parents.

The maids and midwife all jumped as the doors to the birthing chamber slammed open- and in walked the proud father himself. His eyes first found the gaggle of women surrounding a wailing newborn and his face turned from one of intense worry to absolute wonder as he slowly walked over to them.

One maid lifted the now-clean infant from the tub and dried it off quickly, swaddling it expertly in a dark red blanket. Turning to him, she bowed, holding the bundled baby out to him to take.

"Your son, my Lord."

His eyes widened slightly before filling with tears. A son. His beloved wife had given him a son. Reverently he took the offered newborn, holding him close as he looked him over. His son sprouted a bit of black fuzz on his scalp, the same color as his own hair. Dark eyebrows, so delicate on such a tiny face, bunched together every so often as if he were aware he was being evaluated- and he was not pleased at such. _A little Lord already…_

The joyous father turned, looking for his wife. He found her on the far side of the dim room, lying in the birthing bed- and his heart lurched as he saw all the blood on the sheets and floor. He moved with graceful swiftness to her side, taking her hand in his as soon as he was close enough.

Her hand was ice cold, even for her. She turned her head ever so slowly towards him and his chest clenched as he realized how pale she was. How much blood had she lost in order to bring their son into this world?

"What… is it…?" she whispered, obviously exhausted. As well she should be- she'd been in labor for nearly a day, her pains having started the day before.

"A son," he replied, his voice all choked up. "A beautiful son. He's got my hair."

"…And your temper," she replied, managing a ghost of a smile. "I heard him yell… when they put him… in the water."

He tried to laugh, but the concern in his heart wouldn't let him. "Are you sure he's _your_ son?" he joked weakly.

"He'd better be… after all that," she retorted, that spark he so loved faint in her voice. She blinked slowly- so slowly, he thought she was about to fall asleep. Which she deserved, of course.

"I'm sorry," she said in a faint voice.

"Why? I'm the happiest man in the world. That's twice now that you've done so- and knowing you, you'll be rubbing it in my face for the next fifty years. Probably sixty."

She shook her head wearily, as if she hadn't enough strength for even that. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice growing even softer, "…that I won't… see him… grow into… a fine man… like his father."

His heart stopped. No. No, _no_. She was just talking strangely from the loss of blood. "What are you talking about? You'll be by my side every step of the way. We'll raise him to be the pride of both our nations."

Her eyes- her beautiful blue eyes that he always felt he could drown happily in- closed again, a small smile on her sweet lips. "…I… love you both…" she breathed, her normally outspoken tone now reduced to a mere feather of sound. Her eyes did not open again.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, wanting to shake her awake but knew that in her exhausted state, she needed her rest.

But her words haunted him.

He put his fingers against her throat, feeling for her heartbeat. It throbbed once, shakily, then again. He let out a soft breath of relief, holding his son closer.

Then it stopped.

He froze. Shifted his fingers. Maybe he had the wrong spot. He tried again, but there was nothing. Leaning over, he put his ear by her nose and mouth, listening for her steady breath.

Nothing.

Horror clutched at his heart, his soul. He gripped her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Wake up. Come on, don't play around with me," he pleaded, sounding like a child. A woman came up next to him and tried to touch his arm and he jerked away. He shook his wife harder, determined to wake her. "Wake up! You can't leave me! You promised me you'd never leave me!"

Still the new mother lay unresponsive, the peaceful, contented smile on her lips.

His son began to cry loudly, as if he knew something had happened to his mother. The young father held the newborn close to his heart with one hand, his other hand touching his wife's cool cheek. "Agni, no," he sobbed, realizing what had happened to his beloved, his true soulmate. Falling to his knees by the bed, his son in his arms, he let out a scream of heart-wrenching agony that echoed in the room, bouncing his pain back at him tenfold.

"_**KATARA!!!"**_

_-_-_-_-_-_

She had been given the grandest of funerals, as was befitting the wife of the Fire Lord. Mourners from every nation came to pay tribute to the compassionate, caring, oftentimes quick-tempered Waterbender who had helped save the world five years before, and had done everything in her power to help bring peace back to the broken people.

The Fire Lord stood silently at the pyre that had been built to cremate her body, as was the custom in the Fire Nation. Knowing her as well as he did, she'd be irritated with him for burning her body rather than returning it to the ocean like her people did, but he had already made arrangements for her ashes to be scattered at sea. Tomorrow… he'd take her home. For the last time.

No tears filled his eyes anymore. He'd simply cried himself dry. Now he was a hollow shell of a man, existing but without understanding how.

A wail sounded behind him and he turned, seeing the wet nurse approaching with his son. He shook his head, informing her he didn't want to see him. The babe was barely a week old and yet he had been to see him only once since he'd been born. Only once since his son's mother, his only love, had been taken from them both.

He'd ventured into the nursery, needing to see his last link with his wife, their only precious son. But the boy had blinked up at him with familiar ocean blue eyes and he'd been unable to stop the tears once more. He'd fled the infant's room as if pursued by the hounds of Hell and locked himself in his office for the next two days. He wouldn't go to his bedroom- too many memories there, of his strong, independent wife, of the love they had made there. Of the son they had conceived there.

"My Lord, I hate to intrude," the wet nurse said quietly, respectfully, "but there is a minor matter we need to take care of, and soon."

He wanted to sigh, but couldn't work up the emotion to do so. "What is it?"

"Your son, my Lord. He needs a name."

Turning, he gazed at her, confused. "He… doesn't have a name?"

"No, my Lord. Lady Katara… passed before she was able to name him."

Hearing his wife's name caused his hardened heart to throb painfully. "I don't know what to name him," he said stiffly.

The wet nurse stepped closer, a sympathetic yet irritated look in her eye, as if he were a disobedient child. "You are his father," she reminded him tersely. "He is the Crown Prince. He cannot go nameless forever."

He turned, looking at the flames that were consuming his wife's body.

"Katon."

She blinked. "I beg your pardon, my Lord?"

"His name is Katon. For his mother."

The wet nurse bowed, taking her leave. "Very well, my Lord. I shall inform the Sages."

He didn't respond as he was left alone to contemplate the flames.

"It's because she wasn't strong enough," came a voice from behind him.

The Fire Lord turned, narrowing his gold eyes at the intruder. "What did you say?" he growled.

The Chief Advisor from the Fire Council stepped out from the shadows and regarded the young man. "Water and Fire don't mix," he continued, gazing at the funeral pyre. "That is why she wasn't able to survive childbirth. The strain of giving birth to a child of mixed blood, especially one born in Fire's season, during the time of the New Moon? Any Waterbender would normally have difficulty with the timing alone, but a Master? And with the added mix of her elemental opposite? It's no wonder she died."

He grabbed the short, balding man by his robes and pinned him roughly against the wall, his golden eyes glowing as the flames roared behind him in anger. "You will speak with respect about my wife," he hissed, smoke trickling from his mouth. "Or you will _never_ speak again."

"I am merely saying, my Lord," the Chief Advisor said, seeming unconcerned with the Fire Lord's ire. "If you were to take a Fire Nation wife, she would not falter under the strain of birthing an heir- a full-blooded heir, no less."

His eyes narrowed- and the fire behind him grew exponentially. "Are you saying that my son is not legitimate simply because he is half Water Tribe?"

"The citizens may view him as such," the Advisor replied. "Especially with those blue eyes of his. Why, he could be a Waterbender- and no Waterbender will ever be allowed to sit on the Dragon Throne. Regardless of his royal blood."

The infuriated Fire Lord took the man and tossed him effortlessly across the chamber, breathing fire as he did so. The twisted expression of pain and wrath on his face was illuminated by the veritable column of fire the pyre had become.

"You cannot even look at the boy without being reminded of his mother," the older man continued, forced to yell over the roar of the flames. "Send him away and choose another wife, a Fire Nation woman. Sire another heir, one fit to rule."

He swung his fist at the man and an arc of nearly white flame shot towards him, forcing the Advisor to duck quickly or be flayed alive.

"My Lord! My Lord!" He turned to see a young woman, one of Katara's maids, running towards him, a look of pure terror on her face. "He's gone!"

He paused for only a moment before the horror overtook him like a wave. "Katon?"

"The wet nurse took him back to the nursery, but never came back- so I went to check on her and I… I f-found her on the floor. Sh-she… she was…" The maid started to cry hysterically.

The Fire Lord wasted no more time. He ran out of the cremation room and raced across the palace, his robes flapping like huge dragon's wings behind him. His hair slipped from its usual topknot, the Fire Crown dropping to the floor with a clang- and he paid it no mind. He reached the family wing and sprinted for the nursery. Slamming the slightly ajar doors open, he saw the wet nurse on the floor- in a small puddle of blood. He knelt by her side, checking her for a pulse…

…And found one, thank Agni. He called for the guards, who had followed him when he had passed them in the corridors. They, in turn, called for the healers as he straightened and moved toward the crib on the other side of the room.

The crib was painfully empty. Only a pale blue blanket, made by Katara herself, lay on the pristine white sheet.

He picked up the blanket, bringing it to his face as the reality of the situation started to sink in. A white sheet of folded paper slipped out of the blanket and he quickly opened it, his heart dropping to his stomach.

"_A Water Tribe peasant will never sit on a Fire Nation throne. By nightfall, all remnants of your mistake will be gone, burned to ash and scattered to the seas."_

First his beloved wife, now his newborn son. Agni must be angry with him indeed for taking a Waterbender as his soul's partner, to take all that he ever wanted away from him and leaving him with only the bitter memories that froze his heart from that day on.

_-_-_-_-_-_

The cloaked figure raced with his stolen bundle down the hillside, constantly looking over his shoulder at the looming palace behind. The thief was getting paid a lot of money for this job, and although the thought of killing a baby, a newborn at that, turned his stomach, the money was needed in order to keep his family from the streets for at least another couple of months.

He paused, listening for pursuit. So far, nothing. He had knocked the wet nurse unconscious, inadvertently cutting her scalp in the process, which created a rather bloody mess on the floor. He felt bad for the woman, as she had done nothing wrong either, but his orders were clear. Take the infant, kill it, and burn it to ashes before scattering it to the wind.

A shadow dropped down beside him and he jerked, surprised. Before he could move, several quick, precise jabs in his arms and neck had him crumpling on the ground in a heap. The child in his arms was snatched before he finished his descent onto the mossy soil. A large bag of what sounded like coins landed beside him and he glanced up in confusion at the slender figure now holding the infant.

"Sorry, mister," a decidedly feminine voice apologized, "but this little one's coming with me."

"You're not the one who hired me, are you?" he asked, unable to move much more than his eyeballs.

"Hired you? Agni, no." She patted the baby's back soothingly. "I don't know who hired you, but I won't let you kill this child."

"I didn't want to," he confessed. "But my family…"

"I understand. That's why I'm giving you that." She nudged the money bag with her toe. "Don't take jobs like this anymore, okay? Go to the Earth Kingdom if you have to, but get a real job."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

She turned and jumped lithely into the trees, leaving him lying paralyzed on the ground. Soon her blocks would wear off and he'd be fine, but she planned on being far, far away by then.

Katara's son needed to live- even if it was away from his father.

_-_-_-_-_-_

The grand gong sounded, indicating someone was at the door. Toph turned her head ever-so-slightly. "Fuzzy, can you get that? I'm a little busy here."

"Fuzzy," or better known as Ren to the rest of the Bei Fong family and their servants, didn't even blink at his mistress's nickname for him. "As you wish, my lady." He turned away, his long green robes barely stirring with his steps. Sokka looked up from his latest technological invention's blueprints and made a confused face at the retreating man.

"Toph, why do you insist on giving everyone such bizarre nicknames? Ren doesn't even have any hair- why did you decide to call _him_ 'Fuzzy'?"

"Because it fits him, Snoozles," the Earthbender replied, leaning back in her chair. "Even with my limited senses I can tell that guy has some _impressive_ eyebrows."

Sokka shook his head. "I'll never understand you," he muttered, looking back at his plans and making a quick adjustment.

"Then why do you stick around here all the time? Go back to your frozen wasteland and bother the penguin-seals. _Them_ I'm sure you'd understand."

"You entertain me," he replied without looking up. "And maybe I've discovered there's more to the world than ice and snow."

"Gee, glad to be of service. I live to amuse you."

Ren reappeared, guiding a young woman wearing a dark green cloak. In her arms she carried a small bundle.

Toph was on her feet in an instant. "Stretch?"

"Hey, Toph. Cutie." She winked at Sokka. "Sorry for barging in like this."

Sokka kept his distance. He knew all too well Ty Lee's strange interest in him- and it could lead to pain, _immense_ pain later. "Why are you here? You bring another of Suki's hate letters?"

She shook her head. "Haven't been back to Kyoshi Village in a quite some time. Besides, I'm pretty sure she's gotten over you. I heard she was starting a new regime in the village, utilizing not only Waterbending moves but all the bending forms. I've never seen her this motivated."

Toph crossed her arms. "So why'd you bring us a baby then?"

Sokka's blue eyes flew wide. "I swear to Tui _and _La that it isn't mine."

Ty Lee's normal smile faded to a pained, sorrowful one. "He is… and he isn't. He's… he's Katara's son."

The Water Tribe Warrior's expression was one of complete and utter shock. "My sister… had a baby? When? Why wasn't I informed?"

"No one knew where you were. Your father hasn't heard from you in months, and Avatar Aang has been secluded at the Eastern Air Temple with that Guru guy for nearly a year. It was only by luck that Jun had seen you in the market the other day when I had asked her about you."

Sokka stepped closer. "But… why do you have Katara's baby? Where's Katara? Where's that jerk she married? Why don't they have him?"

Ty Lee's grey eyes were filled with intense sadness. Sokka's stomach turned to ice. "She… Katara… died. In childbirth. Zuko nearly went mad with grief. He… only went once to see his son after that."

Toph took the child from Ty Lee's arms, seeing him with her special ability. "He's probably barely a month old," she said, surprised. "What do you want from _us_?"

"He was kidnapped from his crib the night Katara was… cremated," Ty Lee told them hesitantly. "Someone ordered him dead. I've been staying as a guest for the past month or so, so when I heard, I went searching- and found the kidnapper. He was very reluctant about his job- so I paid him off and took Katon."

Sokka looked up from his nephew from where he stood by Toph's side. "Katon?"

"…Zuko named him. In honor of your sister."

Emotion filled Sokka's eyes. He walked over to a nearby wall and punched it hard- so hard, his knuckles bled, staining the stone. "Katara," he croaked, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Dammit, why did you have to go off and marry that fire-blooded bastard?"

"Sokka," Toph said, using his actual name for once, "this is not Sparky's fault. Do you believe that if he thought for even one second that Sweetness would die giving birth that he would've risked knocking her up in the first place? He loved her more than anything in this entire world- and I'm sure he'd give up his own life to bring her back."

As usual, such frank and to-the-point words from the blunt Earthbender pierced his guilty heart. He should've been there, he should've had Water Tribe healers there…

"Katon needs protection," Ty Lee continued, glancing at him sympathetically. "He's your sister's son- won't you take care of him? He might even grow up to be a Waterbender like his mother."

"Or a fucking Firebender like his damned father," Sokka growled.

"Watch your mouth, Snoozles," Toph muttered. "There's little ears around."

"He's too young to hear me!"

"Do you really want to risk it?"

Sokka made a frustrated sound. He turned on Ty Lee. "How am _I _supposed to take care of him? I'm not even married!"

"Marry Toph and pass Katon off as your son," she replied, gazing at him levelly.

Toph snort-laughed- but her cheeks were pink. "You're joking right? Snoozles would never marry me. I'm not his type. He likes girls who can _see_."

"Toph, not now." He focused on the former acrobat. "What makes you think that could even _possibly_ work? How can we pass off a gold-eyed child as ours?"

"You haven't even looked at him, have you?" She rubbed Katon's cheek and the infant stirred, yawning. He blinked sleepily before gazing curiously at the two new faces before him.

"He's got blue eyes," Sokka breathed, stunned.

"And black hair," Ty Lee added. "He could easily pass for your child- _if_ you marry someone with black hair. Which Master Toph has."

"How convenient," the Earthbender drawled. "So if I had brown hair, I'd be out of the running, huh? Thanks."

"I have no problems marrying you, Toph," Sokka said offhandedly, still staring in shock at his nephew. "But that's not my concern. Won't whoever ordered him killed come looking for him?"

"That's why I suggested you marry Toph and present him as your own. He looks kinda like you- he shares your blood! Just pretend you got Toph pregnant by accident, so you got married in secret and had the baby in secret. No one will know!"

"Unless he starts burping fire," Toph observed, her heart still skipping erratically from Sokka's nonchalant acceptance of Ty Lee's bizarre suggestion.

"I overheard the Fire Council saying that his blue eyes probably indicate he's more Water Tribe than Fire Nation," she said quietly. "So he'll probably be a Waterbender, if anything. And if he doesn't bend at all, then all the more to convince everyone he's Sokka's!"

Sokka glanced at Toph. She seemed to be taking all of this exceptionally well, even for her. "No protestations from the peanut gallery?"

"It's a logical plan," she said, shrugging. "But we don't have to actually _marry_, do we?"

Ty Lee scratched her head. "Well, you'll be living together, sleeping together, and keeping up the semblance of a married couple with a child. Why _wouldn't_ you get married?"

"There's a little thing called love," Toph said dryly. She pointed in Sokka's general direction. "Snoozles doesn't love me."

"Hey, now. Don't put words in my mouth."

The dainty Earthbender jerked slightly, confused. "Huh?"

"I don't hang around you simply for my health. It usually seems like the opposite, actually." He rubbed his shoulder, which was still sore from the last time she got irritated with him and bent him thirty feet in the air. "You're how old now?"

"…Seventeen. I'll be eighteen this spring. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, then. You're well past the age when you should've married. At least if you were Water Tribe."

"Which I ain't, thank the earth."

"We're not all bad, you know."

"I don't care- I can't see on ice and both of your crazy tribes live on solid ice. I am _never_ going there."

"Didn't ask you to. But I _will_ ask you- do you want to marry me and help me take care of my nephew or not?"

She scowled, ignoring her rapid-fire heartbeat. "How romantic. However could I say no?"

"Toph, I'm serious. I would've gotten around to asking you sooner or later- but the situation kinda calls for sooner." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I… even tried carving you a necklace, but it… kinda stinks."

She blinked. "You what?" She tried not to get overly excited. He was probably just playing around again. "Do you have it? With you?"

Sokka stared at her. "Well, yeah. It's in my room. But it looks awful- you wouldn't want it."

"You always forget, Snoozles- I'm blind. I don't care what it looks like."

"So… you want it?"

"Didn't I just say that?"

"Then… you'll marry me?"

"I suppose that's what that means, doesn't it?"

"And we'll raise Katon as our son?"

She didn't want to say that she didn't believe he'd really marry her- or consummate the marriage- so her chances to have a child were limited to this one opportunity. "Better us to do it than Stretch," she replied with a shrug, obviously trying not to smile and reveal her indescribable joy. She had a reputation to uphold, after all.

Ty Lee beamed. "I knew you two would work it out!" She gave Toph a hug, much to the shorter woman's mild annoyance. "I'll try to come by every so often to check on you three, but the less I'm around Katon, the better, probably. If whoever wanted him dead found out I took him, they could follow me to you."

"We get the point," Toph said with her usual smirk. "Get out."

Ty Lee waved farewell as she let herself out, leaving the couple together with their "son" for the first time.

Toph couldn't keep the blush from her cheeks. After all these years, Sokka finally chose _her_? She was completely baffled. "So… how do we feed and clean that thing?" she asked him. "Seriously."

**.oOo.**

**A/N: "Katon"- Japanese for "Fire Release"**


	2. Part II Purity of Family

**Part II- Purity of Family**

"Moooooooooom," fourteen-year-old Huan whined, walking into the vast gardens behind the Bei Fong family estate, "I'm _starving_. Can't we eat early tonight?"

Toph didn't even turn her head. Instead she lifted her hands, facing her palms to her body, then dropped them towards the ground. The earth below Huan's feet opened and he fell into the huge hole his mother had created- but only for a second. Abruptly a pillar of rock lifted him out of the trap, the young teen posed in a full Earthbending stance until he was about six feet or so off the ground. He flopped down, sitting on top of the pillar as though bored.

"You're sloppy," Toph told him. "You should've been able to sense that coming and never even fallen."

"Well, if you'd let me eat something, I'd be able to focus better!"

"You whine too much, Huan," a rather disgusted female voice declared, moving from her spot across from the blind Earthbender, where they had been training. Light cerulean eyes narrowed in sisterly annoyance. "And why are you hungry again? You were just in the kitchen, conning a turkey-chicken leg out of Cook."

"Big mouth," Huan hissed at his little sister.

"You're just jealous because I'm a better bender than you."

"Shui," her mother warned.

"…Sorry, Mom."

Another person entered the gardens, yawning and stretching hugely. "When's dinner?" Sokka mumbled, smacking his lips. "I'm starved."

Shui sighed dramatically. Toph had to grin. The twelve-year-old girl had the same sense of the tragic that her father had.

"Fine," she relented, moving her arm and causing the pillar of ground underneath Huan's butt to quickly return to normal. The teen yelped in surprise, barely managing to land on his feet. "Where's Ton? I thought he was supposed to be practicing swords with you."

Sokka scratched his head. "Yeah, he said he wanted to go to town and get some things. If you ask me, I think he's sweet on the butcher's daughter."

"Nuo?" Toph's eyebrows lifted. "She's got a lightness to her step I haven't felt since Twinkletoes. I wouldn't be surprised if she had Air Nomad blood in her ancestry."

"Well, she's got grey eyes," Huan piped up, brushing dust and dirt from his brown pants. "Maybe she's an Airbender."

"Just because someone has grey eyes doesn't make them an Airbender," Shui retorted. "Aunt Ty Lee has grey eyes and _she's_ not an Airbender."

"Have you seen the way she flips and fights and bounces around and stuff? I'm telling you, she's an Airbender pretending to be normal."

"Enough," Sokka said, using his "Dad" voice. It sounded so much like Hakoda to him that he tried not to ever use it. "I'll go ask Cook to start on dinner while you three clean up."

Toph scowled. "Snoozles…"

"That includes you, Toph. I know you like your element, but you agreed to keep it out of the house."

"Yeah, yeah."

As Sokka watched his beautiful, tough, and amusingly short wife stomp off, their son and daughter in tow, he couldn't help but smile. He could still remember the look of absolute shock on her face sixteen years before when he'd given her the meteorite-rock betrothal necklace he'd tried to carve for her- and failed epically. But as she pointed out, she didn't care what it looked like.

"_You really made this… for me?"_

"_Who else would I have made it for? No one else would appreciate space rock like you do."_

"_But… why? Why me? I thought you liked pretty girls, like Princess Moon and Fan-girl."_

_He shook his head in wonder. "Toph, you may be blind but I'm not. You have grown into an absolutely stunning woman. You're strong, you're loyal, you're as stubborn as a rock-"_

_She smiled, wiping a tear from her eye. "That is the best compliment you could've ever given me."_

_Sokka chuckled. "And you always keep me on my toes. I love your wit. I love your sass. I even love your temper. I loved you as a friend for years, but somewhere along the way… I realized I loved you as a man loves a woman."_

_Her heart leapt. She'd been in love with Sokka since she was twelve- and now, six years later, he was telling her he felt the same? "You're not lying," she whispered, completely floored by the revelation._

"_I know better than to try lying around you," he replied. "And I have no reason to. I'm just a Water Tribe peasant and you're Bei Fong nobility, but I hope you'll still consider becoming my wife."_

"_Peasant, my ass," Toph said, wishing she could stop the pounding of her heart- surely that boomerang-flinging man could hear it with his wolf-bat-like hearing. "Your father is the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Doesn't that make you… I dunno… an Ice Prince or something?"_

"_If it makes you feel better about accepting, then I'll say I'm the Snow King himself," Sokka answered. He took her hands in his, folding the necklace inside her hands. "So will you? I'm a selfish man- I want you all to myself, and if I don't convince you to marry me, some other lout is going to come along and sweep you off your feet."_

"_That's no good- I wouldn't be able to see."_

"_Toph…"_

_She pulled her hands from his and slowly, carefully, placed the necklace back in his hands. His heart fell, certain she had just rejected him. The black-haired beauty turned around, offering him her back._

"…_Will you put it on me?"_

_Instead of complying, he spun her around, pulling her off her feet and into his arms, kissing her heatedly. "Is that a yes?"_

_She tried to breathe, but the silly man had completely taken her breath away with that kiss. Instead she nodded._

_His mouth found hers again, and it was quite some time later before he remembered to put the necklace around her neck._

Following his family back into the house, he smiled. He didn't know what he had done to deserve such happiness. His smile faded as he thought about his baby sister… and how she had wanted a family just like this. Why did he deserve to live and have a family… while she had died and missed out on the wonderful man her son was becoming?

Oh, he knew she was watching over Ton. He knew every time the young man smiled his sister's smile, every time he stopped to help one of the elderly residents carry their groceries. That compassion, that gentle, helpful manner- and that temper when he got angry- were all Katara.

Sometimes… it broke his heart.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Ton tried not to fidget as he waited near the butcher's shop, peering inside every so often to see if the customer had finished and were getting ready to leave. They'd been in there for probably ten minutes already.

The old man waved cheerfully at the young woman behind the counter. "Many thanks, Miss Nuo. I will see you again next week." He turned to leave and accidentally bumped into Ton, dropping the basket he carried. "Oh, my deepest apologies, young man," the grey-haired elder said. "I didn't see you there." He looked up at the taller male and blinked, shock registering on his weathered face.

Ton bent over and picked up the old man's basket, brushing off the dust and making sure the wrapped meat and fresh vegetables were unharmed. "No worries," the young man said, smiling at him. "I keep telling my father that I'm so tall no one sees me, but he never seems to believe me."

The old man blinked again before laughing aloud, hearty and full-bellied. "That's a good one, my boy." His eyes sparkled as he looked the teen over. "What is your name? I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"Ton Bei Fong," he said, bowing respectfully. "But my family calls me Ton. You are welcome to do the same."

Recognition flickered in the old man's eyes. "Bei Fong, you say? Do you know of Master Toph?"

Ton grinned. "I would hope so. She's my mother."

"And… your father?"

"Sokka Bei Fong, although he's not really a Bei Fong. He took my mother's name when they married, as he didn't have a last name. He's Water Tribe."

The old man smiled. He didn't think the boy was lying, but he could tell just by looking at him that he was in no way either the blind Earthbender or the Water Tribe Warrior's child. "You have your father's eyes, then," he said instead.

The blue eyes in question shone with delight. "Yeah." His expression grew sad, almost wistful, and the old man went on minor alert. "But I also have his lack of bending ability." He glanced at him. "Do you know my parents?"

"I knew them a long time ago, when they were still children," he said. "I was not aware that they had married and had a child."

Ton grinned again. "I'm the eldest of three. My brother Huan is fourteen, my sister Shui is twelve." Again the wistful look entered his eyes. "Huan's an Earthbender and Shui's a Waterbender."

The old man looked surprised. "Sokka has no bending abilities," he murmured. "How is it that his daughter does?"

Ton scratched his unruly black hair. "My late aunt was a Master Waterbender," he said. "I don't know if you ever met her. Katara?"

Pain appeared on the old man's face and the teen immediately had him sit down on a nearby bench. "Are you okay?"

The elder nodded. "Just… my old age," he replied. "You say Katara… is dead?"

"Yeah. She died right around the time I was born, Dad said. I never got to meet her. He doesn't like talking about her much, and I can tell when Shui practices her bending he's thinking about her."

"What do you know of your… aunt?"

Ton thought about that for a minute. "Well, Mom told me once that I am a lot like her, actually. Said she was caring and loyal, not to mention stubborn." He laughed. "I don't know if I should take all of that as a compliment."

"How old are you, my boy?"

Ton's bright smile grew brighter. "I just turned sixteen this past solstice. Dad says I'm a man now." He blushed, glancing at the butcher's shop. "If only I could convince Nuo of that, though."

The old man chuckled knowingly. "Ah, the lovely Nuo has caught your eye. You have excellent taste. If I were half a century younger, I might give you a run for your money."

"I'd probably lose," Ton observed with a laugh.

A lone figure approached, causing the two males to look up. "Pops," Toph breathed, recognizing his vibrations even after nearly two decades of not seeing him.

"It's been a while, Master Toph."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'd say it has."

Ton stood up awkwardly, towering over his much, much shorter mother. "Sorry, Mom," he apologized. "I was… getting some meat for dinner, and I accidentally ran over this nice gentleman. He says he knew you and Dad when you were kids, as well as Aunt Katara."

Toph's entire body stiffened. "He did, all right."

Ton looked back and forth between the two. "Is… something wrong? Is it because I mentioned Aunt Katara? Dad doesn't like it when I talk about her…"

Sighing, she shook her head. "I think you'd best come to our house for dinner, Pops. I'm sure you've got questions."

"That is most generous of you, Lady Bei Fong." Ton smiled again, reassured, and offered to carry the old man's basket for him. As the young man led the way through the crowd, the elder leaned down and spoke so that only the Earthbender could hear him.

"The first and foremost question is: why does your son look exactly like my nephew?"

_-_-_-_-_-_

Sokka, Toph, and their children gazed with various reactions to the old, gold-eyed man now patting his full belly. "Your cook is a poet, creating art in the form of tantalizing food," he praised.

Sokka glanced at his wife, who hadn't eaten much at all- which wasn't like her. "He gets enough practice," Toph replied. "Between Huan and Snoozles, he's constantly making food."

"Huan," Sokka said, clearing his throat, "why don't you and Shui practice your bending against Ton's sword. He needs some work."

The two benders exchanged a quick look before turning towards their nonbending brother. They groaned. "Dad, he'll kick our asses," Huan protested.

Toph flicked her finger and the meteorite bracelet Sokka had given her when she was twelve shot off her wrist, thunked her son in the head, and returned to its place on her arm. "Watch your mouth," was all she said.

"Sorry, Mom."

The three adolescents left the dining room and the adults, the younger two grumbling under their breath.

Silence loomed for a handful of heartbeats. Finally Sokka let out a pent up breath.

"What brings you here, Iroh?"

"Your lovely wife. She offered me dinner and I couldn't refuse such a beautiful lady."

The Water Tribe Warrior growled, slamming his fist onto the table with such force the dishes shook with a loud clatter. "That's not what I meant. Quit playing games. Are you here from Zuko?"

Iroh gazed at him neutrally over his teacup. "Actually, I am not. I have not heard from my nephew in a very, very long time."

"How is that possible? You're his uncle. Surely you go visit him in his fancy palace all the time!"

"Sokka," Toph murmured, placing a hand on his arm, "relax. He's telling the truth." Turning her head slightly, she spoke a little louder. "If you're not here because of Sparky, then why _are_ you here?"

Iroh sighed. "I sold the Jasmine Dragon and have been traveling all over the Earth Kingdom. See the sights before I retire to the Spirit World, I suppose." He gazed at Sokka. "Your son happened to be waiting outside the butcher shop today and I inadvertently ran into him. Literally." He smiled. "He was very courteous and helpful. You should be very proud."

Sokka frowned. "We are."

"So you can imagine my immense surprise when I looked up at him and saw an unscarred version of my nephew with blue eyes," Iroh continued, sipping his tea slowly. "Care to explain?"

Sokka shifted as if ready to growl something at the old man. Toph stopped him with a kick of her leg. "We gotta tell him, Snoozles," she told him under her breath. "He may be old, but he's still as sharp as an axe."

He grunted in reply.

"You guessed it, Pops," she confessed, somewhat relieved to be able to tell the truth. "Ton is Sparky and Sweetness's son. His birth name is Katon, but we decided to change a little."

"And you have him because…?"

Sokka sighed. "Ty Lee brought him to us when he was still a newborn. Apparently after my sister… died… someone kidnapped Ton and tried to kill him, obviously trying to erase every trace of Water Tribe blood from Zuko's life. She saved him but knew he might not get a second chance, especially with the Fire Lord so immersed in misery from… Katara's death. Ty Lee said Zuko couldn't even look at Ton."

Iroh nodded in complete understanding. "I, too, felt that way after the passing of Lu Ten's mother," he said quietly. "And I know how very much my nephew loved Lady Katara. As I am sure he loved his son. He should have been returned to him long ago."

Toph didn't really know how to react. Part of her agreed, but part of her loved the young man who had been her adoptive son for the past sixteen years. "He can't bend," she finally said. "Why should he go back there? Those old farts of the Fire Council would never let a nonbender become Fire Lord."

"Are you certain he's not a bender? Certainly he would not be an Earthbender, and you would both be aware if he were a Waterbender, as your daughter is, but have you not considered he might be a Firebender?"

Sokka stood up abruptly. "He is _not_ a Firebender," he hissed at the old man. "There's no way."

"He is Zuko's son. The blood of Agni runs through his veins. He most certainly could be a Firebender."

"He's sixteen years old," Sokka yelled. "Bending shows up when kids are six, seven. If he was a bender, we'd know it by now!"

"Fire is different," Iroh explained calmly. "We carry it inside ourselves. It lives in our veins, our very being. Unless we are taught how to release it, it can remain dormant- or worse, consume us." He lifted his faded gold eyes to Sokka's blue ones. "Perhaps you'd like me to check for you?"

"How? By breathing fire on him?"

"Certainly not. I may be old, but I'm no fool. If I questioned him about Firebending, don't you think he'd wonder as to his parentage? And if it turns out he is unable to bend fire, then it would be an issue raised unnecessarily." He leaned back in his chair. "I will volunteer to help him with his sword training. You have your other two children spar with him so that he learns to battle all elements, correct? Well, I will simply provide the fire element. Then I will be able to tell if he has the spark."

Sokka's blue eyes bore into the old man. "…All right. But I swear, if you burn one hair off his head…!"

"I promise you I would no sooner harm the boy than my own nephew," he replied honestly. "After all… he is family."

_-_-_-_-_-_

Ton looked up as his parents and the old man entered the garden. Dropping his stance, he straightened, watching curiously as they approached him.

"We were not properly introduced before," the old man said, bowing in a strange way- one hand opened with the palm flat and the other balled into a fist and pressed just below the open palm of the other hand. "My name is Iroh. I used to live in the Fire Nation, ages ago. Your parents were telling me that you are training to use your sword against benders. Have you ever faced a Firebender before?"

The teen regarded him. "Can't say as I have. Are you a Firebender?"

Iroh smiled. "I was known as the Dragon of the West back in the day. Indeed, I am a Firebender. I am certain my skills have probably faded with age, but if you are willing, I would like to train you against the fire element."

Ton's blue eyes flickered to his father, who was scowling but nodded once. "I'd appreciate that, Sifu Iroh." He bowed back.

Toph snorted. "By the earth, you sound like an Airbender I used to hang out with."

Iroh took up a stance a fair distance from Ton and the rest of the house, evidently concerned about something catching fire. He breathed in and out in a controlled, regular manner, and soon smoke trickled from his nostrils. His gold eyes opened and he punched a fist at Ton, shooting a simple fireball at the teen.

Ton watched the old man's movements and his whole body seemed to come alive. He dodged the ball and rolled forward, bringing his sword up in an arc. Iroh moved out of the way with the gracefulness of a Waterbender and kicked out his leg, tripping Ton and disarming him.

The younger man caught himself neatly and flipped over, his stance still one of readiness despite not having his sword in hand. Iroh shifted his stance again and an arc of flame came directly towards him. He had no way to dodge- and Sokka took a step forward.

Mimicking the old man's moves, Ton swept his arms around and the flames dispersed just in front of his body. Iroh stopped attacking and Ton's family held their breaths.

Zuko's son threw a punch at the old man, who ducked- and gazed in utter shock as his fist caught fire. He staggered away from Iroh a couple of steps, shaking the flames away. He stared at his hand, wondering why there weren't any burn marks- and his hand wasn't hot at all.

His breath came in pants- and smoke wisped out.

His whole body quaking, his face a mask of confusion and horror, he turned to his parents, who bore sorrowful expressions.

"Dammit," Sokka swore. Huan and Shui moved cautiously to their mother's side, eyeing their elder brother like they had never seen him before.

Iroh stepped forward. "He needs to know the truth," he said gently. "And he needs to return to his rightful place. The Fire Nation has been doing rather poorly these last sixteen years, and I fear for my nephew's state of mind."

Ton whirled on the old man. "Fire Nation? What are you talking about? What just happened? Why did my fist catch fire like that? Why aren't I burned?"

Toph took a step forward, speaking where she knew her husband wouldn't be able to. "It's time you knew," she said seriously. "Although I had hoped this day would never come. We honestly thought you weren't a bender."

"But I'm not! I can't bend earth or water like Huan and Shui can!"

Toph shook her head sadly. "No, you can't. But you can bend fire."

Ton moved away from her. "A Firebender? You think I'm a Firebender?" He laughed nervously. "How is that even possible? There's no Firebenders in our family."

"Your father… is a Firebender," Toph said, sighing.

Ton looked at Sokka, who wouldn't look at him. He saw his father's hands clenched into tight fists. "Dad is not a bender," he protested. "And even if he was, how did Shui end up as a Waterbender? It doesn't make sense!"

"That's because Sokka… isn't your father," the dainty Earthbender admitted. "And I am not your real mother."

The Bei Fong children let out gasps of grief and horror. "Mom, what are you saying?" Huan asked nervously. "Of course he's our brother. He's the reason you and Dad had to get married, right?"

Toph shook her head. "In a way, yes. We married because of Ton, but not because we conceived him out of wedlock. We married to protect him and provide a safe home for him."

Ton stalked over to Sokka and glared at the older man. "If you're not my father, then who is?" he demanded, his voice breaking. "_Where are my real parents?!_"

Sokka finally looked at the teen, tears in his eyes. "Your mother is dead," he replied, his voice gravelly. "She died giving birth to you."

Pain wrenched Ton's heart. "What about my father? You said he 'is' a Firebender. That means he's still alive, right? Do you know who he is? Why did he give me up?"

"Your father is my nephew," Iroh answered, speaking as gently as he could. "…Fire Lord Zuko."

Ton knew that name. Had heard his… heard Sokka cursing the Fire Lord over and over again when he'd got to thinking too much about his dead sister. _Dead… sister…_

He whirled on Sokka. "Your sister… Aunt Katara… _she_ was my mother, wasn't she."

Wearily, Sokka nodded. "I'm… actually your uncle. Huan and Shui are you cousins." He jerked his head at Iroh. "He's your great-uncle, your father's paternal uncle."

Ton stared at Sokka. Turned and stared at Iroh, who smiled warmly. "Did… did my f-father not want me?" he asked, his blue eyes pleading with the old Firebender. "Why… why did he give me away?"

"I do not believe he knows you are still alive, my boy," Iroh explained. "An attempt was made on your life shortly after you were born, and you were brought here in order to protect you. But now that you have become a fine young man, strong and honorable, it is time for you to begin your training in the arts of your ancestors- and to return home to your father. I have a feeling that he needs you."

Ton ran a shaky hand through his black hair. "What if he doesn't want me there?" he whispered. "What if he hates me and that's why he never looked for me?"

Iroh placed a comforting hand on the taller man's shoulder. "You are the son of his soulmate, his beloved Katara, his Lady. He could never hate you. I know he will be overjoyed to see that you are alive and well, and that you have become such a good person." His gold eyes shone. "You remind me so much of your mother. Even your temper."

Toph snorted through the tears slipping down her cheeks. "Amen to that," she whispered.

Huan looked at his "brother." "I guess that explains why you don't look like any of us," he observed.

Shui slapped him upside the head. "Idiot! What a dumb thing to say! Couldn't you be a little nicer?"

"What? I'm just saying…"

Ton glanced at Iroh. "It's true. You are the spitting image of Zuko, had his face not been scarred by my late brother. Your eyes are all Katara, though."

The eyes in question turned as hard as ice. "If I go with you… to the Fire Nation… I will meet my real father?"

"That is the plan, yes."

Ton nodded. "All right then. I'm going."

Toph and Sokka weren't able to come up with a reasonable excuse for him to stay- their adopted son had become a man, and this was his journey to learn his past… and hopefully build a better future.

**.oOo.**

**Huan: "Happiness"  
Shui: "Water"  
Nuo: "Graceful"**


	3. Part III Purity of Pain

**Part III- Purity of Pain**

It had been three weeks since he had left the Earth Kingdom. Five weeks since he had found out his true parentage. Five weeks since his world had turned completely upside down.

And three weeks of intense training with the old Dragon of the West himself.

Iroh was an old man, 'twas true, but he still fought like a warrior in his prime. He grew weary faster than his pupil, however, so during the times Iroh napped, he instructed the young Prince to practice the forms, if not the actual Firebending itself.

_Prince Katon. Heir to the Dragon Throne. Son of Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara._

Katon shook his head. It felt weird knowing that he had a full name, that "Ton" was just a nickname. And his chest felt heavy when he had learned that he had been named for his mother- and for his father's element.

And _his_ element, he realized.

The whole story had come out about how he had been marked for death, and how his Aunt Ty Lee had absconded with him to safety. His life could and probably would still be in danger, but as a young man, he was more than capable of defending himself against an assassin. Sokka had taught him the ways of the sword well, and Toph had shown him Earthbending moves, even if he couldn't bend that particular element. He'd fought Waterbenders and Earthbenders with only his sword and his hands and lived to tell about it. And now, his body thrumming from the inner fire he now recognized, he felt comfortable enough with his Firebending to finally meet his elusive father.

Iroh had commented that Katon's abilities and knack to catch on quickly reminded him of his niece- his father's sister, Azula. She had been known as a prodigy, and it seemed that Katon had the same "spark." However, Iroh was confident that Azula's insanity would never touch him, as he had been raised in a loving and caring home, whereas Azula had been forced to live under her father's twisted and dark rule.

Katon frowned. The more he heard about his father's family the more he was reluctant to meet the Fire Lord.

No, he mustn't show fear or hesitation. This man was his blood, and he had a right to meet him. Even if he turned him away, at least he could move forward knowing that he had seen his sire with his own eyes.

The ship slowly pulled into dock and Katon stood on the deck beside his great-uncle, wearing a dark red cloak with a voluminous hood. Inconspicuousness was their ally, at least until they reached the Fire Palace.

They purchased a pair of ostrich-horses from the local merchant, paying the man in Bei Fong money Toph had given Katon before he left. The merchant, more than pleased with the sale, waved cheerfully farewell as the two men rode away, heading for the capitol.

Iroh glanced back at his great-nephew, struck again by the incredible likeness he bore to Zuko in his younger days. If only Ozai hadn't scarred the boy, he would've looked like Katon did now. Memories drifted back and he allowed them to fill his aging mind.

_Moving his ostrich-horse closer to his serious-looking nephew, Iroh noticed something strange. Zuko was smirking for no apparent reason. Had the young Fire Lord finally lost his mind?_

"_Whyever are you smiling, Zuko? Surely you can share with your uncle. I, too, enjoy a reason to smile."_

_Zuko didn't look at his uncle- instead, he stroked the feathery mane of his ostrich-horse. "I just came up with a name for my new mount," he said neutrally._

"_Oh? What did you name such a fine mare?"_

"_Katara."_

_Iroh blinked. "I beg your pardon?"_

"_I named her Katara."_

"_After the Water Tribe girl who helped you defeat your sister two years ago? The powerful Waterbending Master?"_

"_The same."_

_Iroh muddled that over for a moment. "Perhaps I will regret asking this," he began, stroking his beard, "but __**why**__ did you name her Katara?"_

_Zuko's smirk widened. "Because I can ride her as long as I want, as hard as I want, and I won't have to stop until we're both exhausted."_

Even eighteen years later, Iroh still found his nephew's wit hilarious.

_-_-_-_-_-_

The two men stood at the gates of the huge Fire Palace, the younger one staring in open-mouthed awe. "The Bei Fong estate was huge," he murmured, "but this is bloody enormous."

Iroh chuckled. "As it should be. All the nobility, Advisors, and Council members live here, as does the Royal Family. Come. Let us hope my nephew will be glad to see me after all these years, eh?"

Katon hesitated. "Are you sure he will be pleased that I am here?"

"One way to find out, my boy. Now, keep your face hidden. No reason to ruin the grand surprise early."

Iroh climbed the grand staircase with the assistance of Katon's strong grip, and regarded the two guards posted at the door. "Move aside, soldiers," he ordered, pushing back his hood enough to reveal his face. Even though weathered, he was still highly recognized.

"General Iroh! Of course, sir!" The guards moved aside, one opening the door for the duo. "It has been a long time, sir. Welcome back to the Fire Nation."

"Thank you," he replied, folding his hands over his belly. "Let us hope it is a good reunion."

The old man led the way knowingly through the massive hallways. He never faltered in his direction, nodding politely to servants and ignoring the various nobility he passed. Upon reaching a set of large, gilded doors, he merely glanced at the guards- and they immediately bowed using the Fire Nation salute Iroh had shown Katon when he had told him his name. "The Fire Lord is holding an audience right now," one of them apologized. "You cannot go in just yet, General Iroh."

"I have been away for nearly twenty years," he informed them, "and I am not going to be turned away now." He pushed at the doors, the hinges giving way smoothly before him.

At the far end of the throne room, on a dais behind a wall of fire, sat a red and gold throne, decorated with gilt flames. The fire silhouetted the figure seated on the throne, so Katon couldn't see the person's features. Iroh walked across the cavernous room slowly but steadily- the walk through the palace had already tired him out. He cursed old age- sooner or later it was going to kill him.

The supplicants kneeling on the floor in front of the dais scrambled out of the way as the old man reached them. The shadow on the throne didn't move, but the flames flared momentarily.

"Who do you think you are, barging into the Fire Lord's throne room unannounced?" he barked.

Iroh pushed his hood back and smiled benevolently. "I think I am someone who deserves a cup of ginseng tea and a 'welcome home, Uncle'," he replied.

The flames died down so quickly it was if they had never been. The remaining torches around the room remained lit, illuminating the room in a softer, gentler glow. Katon moved back as the man stepped down from the dais and stopped in front of his uncle.

Zuko had matured into a handsome man indeed, but there was a pain, a bitterness in his eyes that broke Iroh's heart. His chin sported a short goatee, as opposed to the long one worn by his father, and his hair was pulled back in the standard topknot, but Iroh suspected it too had grown longer. He was thinner than the old man figured he'd be- and he didn't smile. At all.

"Welcome home, Uncle," Zuko said, gazing hollowly at the man he had once regarded as a father. "You will have to wait for your tea, but I am certain I can get some for you." He snapped his fingers and a dark haired woman appeared. "Mai. Fetch some ginseng tea for my uncle, will you? Bring it to my chambers."

Iroh's gold eyes widened slightly as the woman bowed respectfully- and he caught the glint of gold in her hair. Ursa's crown. _Katara's_ crown.

He looked askance at Zuko. The Fire Lord didn't seem to see him as he turned to lead the way to his chambers.

Katon took Iroh's arm, helping him along as they walked. The young man was visibly shaken- this cold, emotionless man was his father? What happened to the temperamental, passionate, good-hearted man Iroh had told him about on the ship?

If the man hadn't looked like an older, albeit scarred, version of himself, he wouldn't have believed he was in any way related to the guy.

Zuko paid no mind to the hooded man assisting his uncle. He opened the door to his private chambers and allowed the older man and his supporter to enter first.

Katon led Iroh to a red upholstered chair and sat him gently in it. He spoke in quiet, questioning tones to the old General, who merely smiled and waved him away.

Zuko sat down across the mahogany table from his uncle and regarded him coolly. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" he asked. "It's been- what? Twenty years?"

"Almost." Iroh sighed, trying to catch his breath. "Feels like forty, if you ask me."

Zuko's gold eyes flickered from the hooded man back to his uncle. "Is this your bodyguard? Do you fear for your life in my own home?"

"Zuko, relax. This young man is a special friend. He has been very kind to an old man like me, and he had a desire to meet the famed Fire Lord."

"Is that so." Zuko stood up again and walked around the table, coming close to Katon's face. The younger man took a few steps backwards, suddenly thinking this was a bad idea. "What is your name, boy?" he snapped.

"Stop that, nephew. You're only scaring him."

No emotions stirred in those topaz eyes. They were dull and lifeless, but Katon suspected there was still something alive in the cold Fire Lord's heart- otherwise, he wouldn't humor his uncle the way he continued to do.

"M-m-my n-name is… um…" Katon tried to say.

"Speak clearly, boy," Zuko ordered, staring at him directly. "And remove that hood. You look like a damned ghost."

With trembling hands, the teen pushed back his hood and stared defiantly at the Fire Lord. "My name is Katon," he said clearly, proud that his voice no longer shook.

The look on Zuko's face could only be described as flabbergasted. Gold eyes met blue as Zuko took a step closer, noting the boy's height matched his own. If Zuko didn't know better, he would've sworn he was looking at a younger version of himself, even though at his age, he'd already had the scar for three years.

"My son?" he whispered. "My… Katara's… son?"

Katon noticed the way he said his mother's name, almost as if he were whispering the most sacred of prayers. He nodded.

"They told me you were dead," Zuko said in a cold voice. Katon suspected the man hadn't shown emotion in the last decade and a half, and simply didn't know how to express them. At least, he hoped.

"There was an attempt on my life," the boy agreed. "And it was thought better if I were taken away and raised elsewhere until the time came where I could return." Partially the truth, but he didn't care. His stomach was in absolute knots, waiting to see what kind of reaction his sire would have.

Zuko's golden gaze was hard, unrelenting. Katon had an uneasy feeling that the Fire Lord didn't believe him.

A knock sounded at the door and it abruptly opened, revealing the dark-haired woman from before, carrying a tray bearing a teapot and some teacups. She paused as she noticed Zuko staring coldly at a young man of the same height. The teen glanced at her and she gasped, dropping the tray with a crash. Pottery flew everywhere and tea splashed the front of her gown and all over the floor.

"Mai," Iroh crooned, bowing his head ever-so-slightly. "It is good to see you doing _so well_ after all these years."

"General Iroh," Mai replied, her voice colder than even Zuko's had been. Her tan eyes turned to Katon. "Who is this?"

Iroh smiled. "May I present Crown Prince Katon, heir to the Dragon Throne," he announced. He eyed the shattered teapot at her feet. "Pity about the tea. I was so looking forward to it."

Mai ignored him. "Zuko… is this true? Is this… boy… your son?"

"My son is dead," he replied, turning away from Katon. "You know that."

"Zuko," Iroh reprimanded in the gentle way he had. "Your son was kidnapped from his crib when he was barely a week old. There was no body- how do you know this young man is not who he says he is?" He smiled at Katon before turning back to the icy Fire Lord. "Even _you_ can see the family resemblance."

Zuko spun around so quickly his robes fanned out around him, looking like dragon's wings. "_My son is dead_," he hissed again at the old man, smoke appearing from his nostrils. "Take this imposter and get the hell out. If that is the only reason you've returned- to taunt me and bring up the past that has long been scattered to the winds- you should've stayed in the Earth Kingdom."

Iroh stood up slowly, frowning. "I thought you would be overjoyed at your son's return. After all, you have no heir to the Dragon Throne, do you?"

Mai's tan eyes narrowed as her cheeks turned red, her hands clenching into fists. "That is none of your business!" she snapped.

Zuko was already at the door. He paused for a moment, his golden gaze turning back to Katon, who couldn't help but look at him in pained confusion.

The Fire Lord's mirror image lifted a hand towards him hesitantly, as if to say "don't go."

Zuko's icy mask fell for a mere heartbeat, replaced by an expression of complete and utter longing, before the coldness returned as he swept out of the room.

_-_-_-_-_-_

_It had been a little more than a year since Katara and Katon's deaths. The Advisors and the Council both teamed up against the still-grieving Fire Lord and practically ordered him to take another bride, this time one of Fire Nation blood._

_His wounded heart was silent as he stood before the sages a second time. Had it really been only four years ago he had stood here with a joyous smile on his face as Katara agreed to love him, honor him, and be by his side forever? Had it really only been two years since he had seen her smiling face, experienced her ire when he did something stupid, sparred against her incredible talents?_

_Had it really been less than two years since his heart froze into a block of ice so cold no amount of his Firebending blood could melt it?_

_He found himself in the royal bedchamber that evening, his dull golden eyes looking over the room and seeing memories everywhere. He glanced at the bed and stopped._

_Mai lay there, dressed in a brick red robe and her hair down. She looked at him expectantly._

_That's right. He had to consummate the marriage. It was his duty. _

_He had to sire an heir. It was his duty._

_Removing his robes slowly, almost mechanically, he joined the pale-skinned woman on the bed. Her form was slender, lithe, warm and willing. She opened her robe and her arms to him and he found he couldn't go to them._

_Mai was no fool. She knew this was her only chance to get Zuko's love back. She stroked him and kissed him, doing everything she possibly could to arouse him._

_Being a young, passionate male, Zuko was helpless against her ministrations. Soon he pinned her beneath him and he took her, roughly, harshly, his eyes still vacant as he stared hard at the headboard, his mind somewhere two years in the past._

_She whispered his name and he froze, mid-copulation. Looking down at her he saw pale skin. Not mocha. Tan eyes, not blue. Black hair, not chocolate brown. _

_He pulled off of her as if he had been slapped in the face with ice water. __**I've betrayed her**__ was the only thing his pained mind could conjugate, repeating over and over again inside his head._

_Pulling on his robes with horrified, shaking hands, he fled the bedroom and returned to his office, locking the door and curling up in a ball in the corner by the window- the window that overlooked the moonlit ocean._

_**I've betrayed Katara.**_

_He never touched Mai again._

_-_-_-_-_-_

Zuko now stood in his office, his sanctuary, gazing silently at the ocean that had lovingly accepted his Waterbender's ashes so many years ago. At night, especially when the moon was full, he sometimes thought he saw her, dancing on the waves, thanking him for returning her home.

Even after all this time… his soul still belonged to her.

Oftentimes he had contemplated taking his own life, just so he could join her once more, but Agni frowned upon that- and just his luck, he'd end up in hell while she danced in the Spirit World.

So he lived his life, one day blurring into the next. He didn't know when it was that he stopped caring, stopped enjoying what living had to offer- but he suspected it was when his son had been taken. Without Katara by his side was hard enough, but to have his last link with her killed and burned to ash…

A knock on his door preceded Mai's arrival. Her usually expressionless face showed irritation today. It might've been amusing if Zuko hadn't killed off all his humor years ago. "What do you want, Mai?"

"You can't honestly believe that boy is really your son," she said without preamble.

"Of course not. The boy is probably just someone my uncle found that happens to look like me. He did a fine job, I must admit, but there's no possible way Katon still lives."

Mai still didn't relax. "If the Council or your Advisors hear about this, questions will be raised," she observed. "What will you tell them?"

"The truth. Katon died shortly after he was born."

Her tan eyes shot sparks as sharp as the senbon she threw. "They are still furious with you because we have not provided the Fire Nation with an heir," she reminded him coldly.

"Nor will they get one," he growled, turning and facing her, his face finally showing some emotion- fury. "They can have some distant cousin take the Dragon Throne. Or better yet, the Earth King's bear. Bosco would make a better Fire Lord than me." He walked over to her and glared down at her, managing to intimidate even the cold-blooded Lady. "You will _never_ get a child from me."

"Why?" she asked, hating that her voice was pleading. "It's been sixteen years, Zuko! _Katara is dead_! I'm still alive, I still love you! If you'd just let go of your pointless mourning and forget about that weak little Waterbender, I could give you sons to be proud of!"

By all rights, he should've backhanded her. In truth, he wanted to. But he was incapable of striking a woman, even one as deadly as Mai, no matter how much she deserved it. Instead, he merely gave her an ice-cold, bored look. He knew how to strike her where it hurt the most- and it wasn't physically.

"I will never share your bed, Mai, nor will I ever touch your body seeking release. To do so would break my promise to my _wife_… and I will never dishonor her, even in death. Seek your _sons_ elsewhere- you will get none from me."

With that, he left the pale-skinned woman to scream curses at him as he walked away down the hallway, seemingly oblivious to her hatred. He almost expected to be struck in the back with her knives, but he knew her well- she didn't dare strike down the Fire Lord and lose her title and rank as Lady and all the perks that went with it.

Hence why she put up with their charade of a marriage for the past decade and a half.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Katon sat in the window of the room he had been given, which was a guest room off of Iroh's chambers. His rooms remained as they had when he had left, maintained by the loyal servants for his eventual return. The small guest room was more than enough for the young Firebender, though he found himself staring at the ocean as though it held the secrets to his life.

"Your mother is out there, you know."

He turned to look at Iroh, who had entered so silently he hadn't heard him. "I'm sorry?"

"Your mother. The servants say she was cremated, which is our custom, and then her ashes returned to the sea, which was her Tribe's custom. So your mother now lives in the tides, haunting your father with every wave."

Katon shook his head. "He says he's not my father," he said dejectedly. "You heard him. His son is dead. How am I to know where I belong now? Perhaps I have no parents at all. I think I should go back to Mom and Dad's. I mean, Toph and Sokka's. I'm sure they'll take me back."

Iroh moved to the young man's side, holding out a picture. "Look at this, my boy," he murmured.

The teen accepted the frame and gazed at the image. A young couple, probably in their late teens, smiled almost secretly at each other. The woman had dark skin and dark hair, but bright blue eyes. The man's black hair was loose, hanging over his eyes, which were of the purest gold. He was dressed in a simple red tunic, whereas she wore blue, trimmed with white.

The man could've been Katon.

Except for that scar.

Katon lifted his blue eyes to the old man. "I don't understand. Who are they?"

"That is my nephew, Zuko, shortly after he started dating your mother. She was beautiful, yes?"

His attention snapped back to the picture. "This… this is my… mom? And… my dad? That ice-cold grump that just denied me to my face is this guy here?"

"Indeed."

He ran his fingertips over the image of his mother. Even in the picture he could tell she possessed intelligence, wit, and a defiant spark. No wonder his father had fallen in love with her.

"But the Fire Lord said-!"

"Zuko is not feeling with his heart anymore," Iroh interrupted. "He listens only to what the Advisors and the Council say now, which is why the Fire Nation is in such calamity. That is why he needs you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because you are your mother's son," he replied. "You have her same gentle, caring nature, her compassion, her intelligence. If anyone could melt his heart, it would have to be the son of his beloved Waterbender."

Katon's oceanic gaze took in his mother's beauty, her confident stance, her special smile, as if she didn't want the man next to her to know she was happy. And she was. She _was_ happy- Katon simply knew it. She loved his father… and he loved her just as much.

"She loved Father so much… she gave up her life… so that I could be born," he said, his voice breaking.

"She loved _you_ so much," Iroh corrected gently. "The unconditional love of a mother is a powerful thing. And I know Zuko would've gladly traded his life for you both, had he been able to."

"Then why doesn't he accept me?" Katon thundered, pain lacing every word. "How can he not see that I am his son? Hell, I've known about it for less than a month, and _I _believe it!"

Iroh nodded sagely. "Then you will have to prove it to him. Show him your abilities. Prove to him you have the blood of Agni in your veins. Prove to him you have the right to sit upon the Dragon Throne- and bring the Fire Nation back to the glorious, peaceful, prosperous country it should be." He turned away from the window and the brooding teenager. "Come with me. I have a special place for you to train."

Katon stood up and straightened his dark red tunic, feeling very strange wearing something other than blue or green. He followed the old General down the corridor and through some doors to a covered walkway, surrounded on either side by a fairly large grassy area. The section to his left held a small water fountain and pond, filled with lily pads and cattails, with a small family of turtle-ducks quacking nearby.

Iroh led him to the opposite side, where there were few trees and an open space, perfect for sparring. "Now, we will begin the warm up. Once you have made it through all your stances, we will bring in one of the guards for you to practice against. Only then will we move on to your swordsmanship."

"Yes, sir."

The breathing exercises calmed him, bringing his troubled thoughts back to peace. The measured steps focused his mind, allowing him to harness the fire flowing within him. When Iroh summoned one of the guards to practice his Firebending against, he was more than ready.

Moving with a graceful ease and balance reminiscent of the most powerful Waterbending Masters in the world, as well as the unmovable strength of the Blind Bandit herself, the young Firebender easily trounced both guards Iroh summoned to fight him.

The old man chuckled as Katon helped the second guard to his feet. "You're getting too good at this, my boy," he observed. "I don't know if there's anyone here that stands a chance against you."

One man entered the area unnoticed, a strange glint in his eyes. A knife flew through the air towards the black-haired teen, headed straight for his temple.

A swing of his sword cut the knife out of the air a scant hair's breadth before it killed him. Blue eyes locked on the man in black, scowling as the man leapt nimbly from sight just as the column of fire hit the tree branch where he'd been crouching.

"So the assassins appear," Iroh murmured, stroking his beard as though expecting this. He had to admit- he was incredibly impressed with Katon's reflexes and instincts. Just like his father, in that regard. "I believe that was just a warning shot."

"So _someone_ believes I'm the Fire Lord's son," Katon mused.

"And intends to dispose of you before you can prove that to Zuko."

The doors to the garden slammed open and the man in question appeared, all glowering ire. "What is going on?" he demanded.

Iroh merely glanced at his nephew calmly. "Why, I was just having Katon do some training," he explained. "We were interrupted by a most rude gentleman in black, but I believe we can continue undisturbed now."

Zuko's eyes grew hard at his uncle's easy use of his deceased son's name. "This boy is _not_ Katon," he repeated. "And what man in black?"

Katon picked up the knife and spun it between his fingers. "The one who tried to impale this into my skull," he replied dryly, ignoring his sire's anger.

Zuko snorted. "Must be a poor shot if he missed an unarmed boy."

The tip of Katon's sword came up swiftly and was at the Fire Lord's throat before he could react. "Who says I was unarmed?" he murmured, his voice deceptively soft.

Zuko's eyes locked on the black blade of the sword. "I… I know that sword," he whispered. "That's… that's…"

"Sokka's space sword. Yeah. He went back to Master Piandao and forged another one for me when I was eight. Then he convinced that old geezer to train me as he had trained him." He shook his head, a small smile on his face. "He got all moody and depressed when I surpassed him and defeated Master Piandao when I was only twelve."

The look of shock on Zuko's face was priceless. "You… knew Sokka?"

"Until about a month ago, I thought he was my father. So, yeah. I know him."

Katon's sword dropped from Zuko's throat. Zuko gazed at him, genuinely confused and utterly curious. "Then… Sokka raised you? Alone?"

"He married Mom- Toph- when Ty Lee dropped me off when I was just a baby. The two of them took care of me and raised me alongside their two real kids as if I were one of their own." Katon's blue eyes hardened. "_They_ never questioned my heritage."

"Ty Lee?" Zuko held his head in his hand. "Ty Lee took you from me?" he whispered.

"She saved my hide," Katon hissed. "If it weren't for her, I _would_ be fertilizer right now."

Zuko turned away from the boy and their uncle as Katon's words finally registered. "Wait. Toph… married Sokka…?" He chuckled. Katon blinked. "Champ… married Boomerang Boy…" He snickered.

Abruptly, the icy Fire Lord was laughing out loud, tears streaming from his eyes. "Oh, _Agni_," he gasped, unable to catch his breath, "I would've _never_ seen _that_ coming." He wiped the wetness from his cheek, still grinning like crazy. "That's like Ty Lee marrying Aang."

"They have two kids, both girls, both Airbenders. They live at the Southern Air Temple."

Zuko stared at Katon as if trying to see if the boy was messing with him. At his completely honest expression, he roared with laughter.

"Well," he chuckled when he could finally breathe again, "I guess that one makes more sense. I always suspected Ty Lee had Air Nomad blood in her. And her natural cheerfulness and perkiness constantly reminded me of Aang."

Iroh stepped forward, his gold eyes shining. "So… you still have a sense of humor," he observed. "You still know how to laugh at amusing things."

Zuko's smile lingered as he regarded his uncle. "Well, come on," he muttered. "Toph with _Sokka_? I'm surprised she hasn't killed him yet, let alone raised two kids with him."

"Three," Katon corrected.

The Fire Lord ran a critical eye over the young man claiming to be his deceased son. In the sunlit garden, the resemblance to Zuko was even more uncanny.

"Can you bend?"

Katon blinked. "I found out I was able to bend about two months ago," he confessed.

His expression seemed to grow sad. "Waterbender?"

"Firebender."

Now Zuko was surprised. Again. He hadn't show this much emotion in an age. "You're a Firebender?"

"Yeah. And Uncle Iroh says a damn good one."

Walking over to the tree nearby, Zuko removed his robes, leaving him dressed in only black pants and his tunic. He took up a Firebending stance across the field from Katon. "Prove it. If you are really my son, you should be able to bend fire like Agni himself."


	4. Part IV Purity of Love

**Part IV- Purity of Love**

Katon regarded the middle-aged man curiously. "You… want _me_ to fight _you_? The _Fire Lord_?"

Zuko smirked- and Iroh's heart nearly exploded from joy. The boy was reaching his father's cold heart, melting the ice away little by little. It was obvious by the way he was finally starting to show emotions other than anger and indifference. "I won't go easy on you," Zuko informed him. "If you are who Uncle claims you are, you should have no problems facing me." He shifted his stance ever so slightly. "And I haven't trained in a long time. I'll probably be rusty."

The teenager didn't believe him for an instant. One didn't become the Fire Lord simply for the hell of it. He handed his sword to Iroh and moved a few paces towards his father. Taking up his unique Firebending stance, he locked gazes with the Fire Lord. "Then don't whine if I kick your ass," Katon grinned.

_Agni_, Zuko thought with a shake of his head. _He sounds just like Katara._

It was the first time in years he'd been able to think of her, even just her name, without feeling hollow inside.

He grinned again, getting used to the experience of both not feeling dead inside and the old familiar thrill of sparring.

The boy made the first attack, moving with an incredible grace for a Firebender. Zuko parried the move, his eyes widening slightly as he recognized a lot of his moves- and they weren't Firebending moves. "You're using Waterbending moves… for Firebending?" he grunted, unleashing an arc of fire from his foot as he kicked.

"My sister- er, cousin- Shui is a Waterbender," Katon replied as he countered with a spin and uppercut, which singed the hair on Zuko's short goatee. "I've been training against her and her brother for years." He took a punch to his forearms and ducked, using the momentum to throw Zuko off balance as he took a sweep to his legs. The Fire Lord twisted, avoiding the fall and bouncing onto his feet further away from the boy.

"Sokka sired two Waterbenders?" Zuko asked, immediately turning back to the offensive as soon as he landed.

"Huan's an Earthbender," Katon clarified, meeting him blow for blow. "The bane of his mother's existence, too. Imagine an Earthbending version of Uncle Sokka, complete with insatiable appetite and lazy attitude."

"Toph would be howling in frustration," Zuko chuckled. He blinked as Katon shifted to an Earthbending stance and dropped below his punch to slam his fists into his stomach, pushing him back several feet. "You utilize all the forms when Firebending, don't you?"

"Might as well. It keeps my opponent on his toes."

Zuko was impressed. "You said Ty Lee and Aang had two daughters," he said, rubbing his stomach before returning to his stance.

"Yeah. Lia and Ting. Lia's fourteen." He formed a pair of fire whips in either hand and swung them towards the older man. "Ting's only ten. Cute girls, both of them, but Lia's a pain in the rear."

Zuko's stomach flipped as he watched the boy utilize the fire whips with a skill reminiscent of a certain Waterbending Master. Memories of a confrontation long, long ago, underneath Ba Sing Se, trickled to the surface- and he smiled wistfully. He had been so stupid back then. "Why is that?"

"She's got a crush on me and glomps me every time they come over." He snapped the whip, forcing Zuko to dodge or get caught. "I'm forced to hide whenever they visit."

"Sounds like some girls I met years ago when I went to Ember Island with your mom." Zuko actually caught one of the whips and snapped it in two, creating his own whip. "I thought she was going to drown me. Never make a Waterbending Master jealous."

Katon stopped. Didn't move for a span of heartbeats. "_My_ mom?" he queried, lifting an eyebrow. "I thought I wasn't your son."

The Fire Lord's expression grew sad. "I didn't want to believe… that both of you had been taken from me," he murmured, straightening. "But if I tried to hold on to the hope that you still lived… and then I found out you really were dead… I don't think I would've been able to keep on living." His golden eyes met his son's blue ones- the same shade as Katara's. A pained smile crossed his lips. "So I believed in my heart you were dead- to force myself to move on."

Katon dissipated his fire and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at him in a familiar manner. "But you didn't, did you? You're still as miserable now as you were then. Have you even _looked_ at the Fire Nation lately? It's gone to hell- and I've only ridden through the countryside with Great-Uncle Iroh. The people are miserable, hungry, and poor. I've heard stories about the great Fire Nation- and frankly, old man, you suck as Fire Lord."

Zuko had to nod. "I know. After… after K-Katara died… I stopped caring. About anything."

"Coward."

The Fire Lord's head snapped up and his eyes nearly shot fire. "Who are you to call me a coward?"

"Someone with more sense than you! What kind of man hides behind his misery and grief for sixteen years and ignores the thousands of people counting on him to protect them and provide for them? You're a selfish coward, _Fire Lord_- and unfortunately, it's not only your holier-than-thou self that's been miserable."

Damn, but that kid sounded just like his mother. Any lingering doubts Zuko had about this boy being his son vanished like snow in the springtime.

He stalked across the field, a dark look on his face. Katon glared right back, never backing down. The older man got within a mere foot of him- and pulled him into fierce hug, completely shocking the youth.

"My son," he whispered, torn between laughing and crying. "My son's come home."

Katon returned the embrace, his uncertainty evaporating. "We told you that a while ago… Father."

Zuko's laughter rang through the air, reaching the keen ears of the man in black, who sat unseen in the shadows on the roof, eyes narrowing as he gazed at the newly reunited father and son. He would have to move quickly- or all his plans would have been for naught.

Zuko's son would have to die- and this time, he'd do it himself.

_-_-_-_-_-_

"So then this guy keeps coming into the village to bother her, and Suki's getting _really_ irritated by this point, so she tries to go all Kyoshi Warrior on his ass- and instead he kidnaps her and takes her back to his village up in the mountains." Katon snickered.

Zuko shook his head, a wry grin on his face. "Did the mountaintop turn red with his blood?" he asked, chuckling.

"No! After about six months she came back- and turned her leadership position over to her captain! Apparently he'd convinced her that staying warm up in those cold mountains was more exciting than fighting with the Warriors." Katon was nearly dying with held-in laughter. "And it was obvious- six months after _that_, she gave birth to a son."

"That's one way to keep busy," Zuko agreed, his mind drifting back to his own "adventures" with Katara during their visits to both Water Tribes. "It's been so long since I had heard from anyone- I'd almost forgotten about them."

Katon's blue eyes grew serious. "Like you'd forgotten about Mother and me?"

"I never forgot you- that was the problem. I couldn't forget."

The teenager stood up, jerking his head towards the door. "Come on. We need to go somewhere."

Zuko stood up, bemused. For the past month he and Katon had been nigh on inseparable. They'd talked about everything: Sokka, Toph, Aang, Ty Lee, Suki… even some embarrassing tales about traveling around with the Avatar and his gang.

He followed the younger Firebender out of the Palace and down the hillside, to the rocky beach at its bottom. His face was a mask of pain by the time they reached the water, and Katon turned to his father, his expression one of youthful optimism.

"They told me that you returned Mother to the ocean," he said. "But did you ever once come back here to visit her? Thank her for the time you _did_ have together? You should've been celebrating the life she had… instead of grieving over her death."

Zuko stared with an aching heart at the relentless waves as they crashed against the shoreline. He couldn't reply. His newly cut hair, still long enough to hang in his eyes, danced on the gusts of wind coming off the ocean.

"Would Mother have wanted you to live your life mourning her?"

He shook his head. Katara would've slapped him upside the head if he had even suggested such a thing.

"Can't you tell that she's here, with us? I didn't even know she was my mother until a few months ago, but as I stand here, I can tell she's here." He took a deep breath of sea air. "She's happy you've finally come back to her. Can't you sense it?"

Zuko faced the ocean, his soul crying out in pain. A large wave came up and slammed against the rocks, spraying him with water. Wiping the moistness from his eyes- not all of it seawater- he looked at Katon, a strange little smile on his clean-shaven face.

"She's mad at me."

"You think? You've been kind of an ass, Father."

Zuko's smile broadened and he glanced at the ocean again. "You hear that, Peasant?" he called out to the water. "Our son thinks like _you_!"

An answering crash of waves showered him again.

Katon laughed. After a moment, he gazed at his sire. "You feel better, though, don't you?"

Oddly enough, he did. It felt like the past sixteen years of torment and anguish had been washed away by the tide. He still missed his Waterbender- he'd always miss her- but he no longer felt so hollow inside.

He took his son in his arms again, thanking Agni for returning his last piece of his beloved wife to him. He opened his eyes, smiling- and saw the glint of something in the trees.

"Katon, look out!"

Pulling the boy aside, the Fire Lord felt a half dozen sharp blows to his back. He fell to his knees as Katon tried to hold onto him, his eyes widening at the deadly knives sticking out of his father's back.

"_Father!_"

His blue eyes snapped up, finding the same man in black crouched on an outcropping not too far distant. He stood up, watching as the man readied another three blades, one between each finger.

Not knowing really what he was doing, other than protecting his father, he moved his arms in a wide circle, gathering as much Firebending energy as he could. Bringing his hands in towards his chest and then down, he paid no attention to the intense crackling around him, so focused he was on making this stalker feel pain such as he had never experienced before.

Quick as lightning, literally, a bright blue bolt shot from his abruptly outstretched fingers towards the man in black on the cliffside. The assassin had no chance to do more than open his eyes wide in utter surprise as the bolt hit him square in the chest. He dropped off the outcropping like a stone, falling to the rocks below. A wave came up and crushed him, making sure that person would not live to hurt Katon or Zuko again.

Katon turned, breathing hard. He'd never seen anything like it- where had the lightning come from? He didn't dwell on it; instead he focused his attention on his father, who had collapsed onto the rocks. "Father? Father!"

Zuko didn't stir. Katon was on the verge of panicking. What was he going to do? He couldn't possibly carry the Fire Lord all the way up the hillside and into the palace by himself.

"What the hell happened here?"

Katon whirled around at the familiar voice. "Dad!"

"That's Uncle Sokka to you, Squirt," Sokka replied, his eyes locking on the still form of his brother-in-law. "We need to get him back to the palace and quick." He turned. "Yo, Toph!"

The blind Earthbender appeared. "I got him." She pushed her foot along the ground and the rock Zuko was lying on lifted up slowly. She walked resolutely to the other side of it and proceeded to push it- a boulder bigger than she was with a grown man lying on top of it- up the hillside like it was nothing.

"You're losing your touch, Sparky," she muttered to the unconscious man. "The old you would've seen these things coming."

"He did," Katon said, his voice cracking. "He… he saw them… and moved so they hit him instead of me."

Sokka put an arm around his nephew. "So whose lightning was that we saw?"

"Say that again, Snoozles?"

He rolled his eyes. "That _I_ saw?"

Katon wiped the tears from his eyes, but they kept falling. "That… was me. I hit the assassin who's been after me for the past month. He… fell onto the rocks over there."

Sokka moved away from his wife and nephew. "I'm going to check," he told them. "Get Jerkbender back to the palace as fast as you can."

"I'm on it already," Toph reminded him, bending the rock- and Katon- up the hillside. "Get Pops!" she hollered as he reached the top of the hillside. "He's waiting just outside the palace!"

Katon watched as his diminutive aunt run after Sokka and he wiped his cheeks again. This was no time to get nervous.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Katon glanced anxiously at the black-haired healer. "Minoru, isn't there anything else we can do?"

The healer shook his head. "The knives were poisoned, your Highness," he said sadly. "I've done all I can- the rest… is up to your father."

Dejected, the teen dropped his head to the mattress once more, his heart heavy with guilt. _If only he hadn't jumped in the way…_

Zuko opened his eyes slowly, aware of a very dull ache in his back and a general lethargy he hadn't felt in… well, ever. Turning his head, he first noticed a familiar head of unruly black hair.

"You know… now that I've cut my hair and shaved that beard off… it'll be impossible to tell us apart."

Katon's head shot up. "Father!"

"Agni, but I love hearing you say that."

Minoru stepped forward, a grim look on his handsome face. "Fire Lord…"

"I told you, Minoru. Call me Zuko."

"…You were seriously wounded. The knives that stabbed you were covered in a lethal poison. I've done what I can to remove the toxin, but…" The healer's chocolate brown eyes were filled with remorse.

Zuko sighed slowly. "I see."

The door opened up and several old, overweight, bearded men appeared, obviously in a tizzy. "Fire Lord!" the one in front called out, sounding rather frantic. "We heard you were ambushed by an assassin!"

Zuko's gold eyes were as hard as diamonds as he regarded the Council now invading his bedroom. "The assassin was targeting my _son_," he informed them bluntly. "I merely protected him."

"At the cost of your own safety!" another old geezer hollered.

"The Fire Lord is above all others," the first man reminded him, his voice positively oozing. "The Water Tribe boy cannot come first. You should've thought about your own wellbeing, my Lord."

Katon merely sat there, listening as the old busybodies discussed him as though he weren't even there. Abruptly he stood up with the intent to escape.

"Katon, bring me that scroll that's in the drawer of my nightstand, will you?"

Nodding, the teen slowly did as he was asked, listening to the arguments and complaints from the Council. Couldn't they see that his father needed rest, not more stress?

Turning back to Zuko, he handed the scroll to him, mildly curious as to why he'd ask for such a thing now. Maybe he'd hit all the old farts over the head with it. He mentally chuckled at the thought.

Zuko held out the scroll to the head of the Council. "This is my decree," he announced. "It's been witnessed and sealed, so it is to be law, no matter what you or the Advisors try to change. Katon is my legal son and heir, and will be the next Fire Lord."

The old men exploded into a frenzy. Complaints and demands were shouted- halted only when a column of fire shot over their heads.

"Shut up and show respect to your Fire Lord," Katon growled. "He is speaking- therefore you should be _listening_, not bitching like old biddies."

"Well said," Sokka observed, entering the royal chamber. "I swear, you sound more like your mother every day."

"Doesn't he though?" Zuko chortled weakly. "He definitely has her attitude."

"You cannot claim this… half-breed as your heir," the head of the Council protested. "You don't even know that he is truly yours!"

Zuko and Katon exchanged a glance. "Have you all gone blind in your old age?" Zuko demanded. "The boy couldn't look more like me if he'd been cut from Ozai himself. He _is_ my son, and as you will read, is the heir to the Dragon Throne. The Fire Nation will prosper under his rule, unlike how it declined under mine."

"But my Lord-!"

A huge wave of water splashed down on them and both Zuko and Katon blinked in surprise. "Shui? That wasn't very nice."

The twelve-year-old Waterbender shrugged. "They were making Mom mad," she explained. "Since Dad told her no bending in the palace, I decided to take care of them for her."

"Thanks, kiddo," Toph grinned. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

The Council regarded the newcomers. The head eyed the bundle in Sokka's arms. "And what is that sopping wet mess you are dragging into the Fire Lord's chambers?" he insisted, sniffing in distain.

"You're one to talk," Huan muttered under his breath.

"What, this?" He dropped it onto the carpet with a thud. "Just your assassin. Thought you might want to get a good look at him."

Zuko struggled to sit up and Minoru was at his side in an instant, disapproval clear on his face. "Who is it?"

Sokka crouched down and flipped the cloth off the head- and the entire gathering gasped, except for Toph, who frankly couldn't see the gore- and already knew the identity of the body.

The crushing waves had broken every bone, the rocks slicing deep into the pale skin. Only the face remained as it was, save for a long slice from eyebrow to jawline and the wide, shock-filled eyes.

"Lady Mai!"

Sokka grunted before straightening. "Are you _really_ that surprised? We've known for years how jealous she was of Zuko's love for my sister. She was probably overjoyed when Katara died in childbirth, but knew that even if she had managed to get Zuko to marry her, any children they had would be second to Katon, as he was the firstborn. So she eliminated all traces of Katara from Zuko's life so that she could start over anew with him."

Toph snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stupid Needles made a mistake, though, in hiring her hitman to take out Katon instead of doing it herself. Ty Lee knew how Mai felt and figured out what she had done, so she intercepted the guy, paying him three times what Needles had done and bringing Katon to us."

Zuko lay back down on the bed, Minoru watching him worriedly. The man hovered like an old grandma. "Get that filth out of my sight," he commanded, his voice hoarse and cold. "And remember that she was _your_ choice for my bride- _not mine_. Reflect on your choices- and accede to mine."

The old men scurried from the room like rats, a pair of guards entering to take away the mangled remains of the former Lady.

"Sorry to drop that on you, Sparky," Toph said. "When we realized who it was, we had to tell you."

"I'm grateful… for that," he murmured honestly, his energy used up in his last outburst, "and… I'm eternally grateful… you raised my son… to be such a good and honest young man."

"Tui knows if he'd stayed here he would've ended up like you," Sokka agreed with a wry grin. "Can't have that now. Katara'd never forgive me."

Zuko closed his eyes, smiling gently. Agni, he was tired. Too much arguing and excitement so soon after being so close to death. "Yeah," he agreed, remembering how the ocean had sprayed him when he'd finally gone to see her. "She still holds grudges."

Minoru left the room for a moment before coming back, something held in his hands. "This rightfully belongs to you," he said quietly, handing him the Prince's fire crown. "Wear it with pride, and don't ever let those old fools tell you that you are unworthy of it."

Katon bowed respectfully, knowing he and the healer were going to be good friends. "Thank you. I promise I will wear it with honor."

Zuko grinned just as he faded from consciousness, glad he had stayed awake long enough to see his son pull his hair up in a topknot and place the flame crown in his hair. Katon had smiled at him, and Zuko had seen himself as he had been before life had thrown so many hardships and responsibilities at him- but he also saw the wisdom and determination of his Waterbender.

His son… The best of both worlds.

_-_-_-_-_-_

Zuko blinked, the sun shining brightly on his face as he sat under a tree. Squinting, he gazed up at the sky, noting the perfect shade of blue. It'd been a long time since he'd been able to look at the sky with such a light heart.

A splash of water hit his face and he looked over, startled. He glanced around, searching for the perpetrator but finding no one.

He wiped the water off his face and paused. Ran his hand down his left cheek. The skin was smooth, unblemished. Unscarred.

His scar was gone.

_What the hell…?_

Water hit him again, this time from behind. He spun around quickly and was rewarded with only a familiar laugh.

_What is going on?_

A shadow fell across him and he turned back, looking up. His gold eyes flew wide at the beautiful face of one dearly loved.

"You're late."

Zuko nodded before taking her hand and standing up, gazing with unrestrained emotion at his beloved Waterbender.

"There was something I had to take care of first," he replied, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. She still felt the same, all softness and femininity. "…I missed you."

She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling.

"I know."

She tugged at his hand, leading him away from the tree. "You look different without your scar."

"Funny. You look exactly the same."

She paused, gazing up at him. "Will he be okay?" she asked, a look of maternal concern on her face.

Zuko thought about it for a moment. "Yeah," he replied honestly, smiling again as she pulled him along. "Our son… will be just fine."


End file.
